FDEP delays Big Pass decision

Lido and Siesta Key residents will have to wait until Oct. 1 to find out whether or not the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will grant permits for a city of Sarasota plan to dredge Big Pass to renourish Lido Key.

The FDEP filed the 30-day extension Friday.

The state agency has been reviewing the project's permit application since March 2015. Since then, the FDEP has filed two requests for additional information— one in April 2015 and then again in October of the same year.

This comes just weeks after the Sarasota County Commission voted to request an environmental impact statement from the Army Corps of Engineers at the Aug. 23 County Commission meeting. However, it is not clear whether or not that affected the FDEP’s decision to extend the review period.

"I think they're just doing their due diligence," City of Sarasota Engineer Alex DavisShaw said about the FDEP's decision. 

The city of Sarasota is currently working with the FDEP to provide more information on a sea grass mitigation plan. Although the project is yet to be funded, DavisShaw believes funding will be easier to identify once permits have been secured. 

The project has been contested by Siesta Key organizations including the Siesta Key Association, Siesta Key Village Association and Save Our Siesta Sands 2, which has expressed its intent to file a lawsuit against the Army Corps and the city pending permit issuance.

Meanwhile, the city has hired law firm GrayRobinson to represent the municipality in the event of a lawsuit for roughly $300 per hour, though City Attorney Robert Fournier said he has not yet received any bills from the firm.

“It’s mainly for the city to be ready and have an environmental lawyer on board,” Fournier said.

Some Siesta residents fear that dredging the pass could potentially cause damage to the island in the future.

“When you take sand from a pass, it’s hard to predict what the impact will be,” Siesta Key Village Association president Mark Smith told the Sarasota Observer in an earlier interview.

Meanwhile on Lido Key, some residents feel that any delays in the process may put their beach at risk.

“Well there is nothing I can do about the process, but, again, we cannot take another hit,” Lido Key Residents Association President Carl Shoffstall said. “I would like to see it happen as soon as it possibly can.”